Free Again
by Yaji's Girl
Summary: While Goku and Gohan are in the midst of their period of relaxation before the Cell Games, Krillin poses an interesting question.


**This is set during those days between training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and the Cell Games. I know that I typically don't write one-shots involving main characters, but I was struck by inspiration today.**

Krillin simply sat on a rock, his back slumped over and his face resting in his hand as he watched the father and son sleeping in the grass. He watched cautiously as they aligned their breathing, their chests rising and falling in synch with each other. There was an occasional time in which Goku would reach up and scratch his nose, but other than that, they were completely calm. Even as Super Saiyans...

This would definitely be classified as 'mondo cool'.

He continued watching them, Goku rolling over to his side to face the bald man. Krillin sat up slightly from the rock, bending down closer to get a look at his friend. It was just bizarre to see him as a blond for so long, though he was beginning to get used to it. He just couldn't believe that he had been the person to create the first Super Saiyan. He, Krillin, had done something that was only done in legends. He grinned to himself, glad that his death came of good use in some way.

And now Gohan was Super Saiyan. It had been strange to see the little boy come out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, a year older and his hair wild. There was something different about his eyes, as if determination shone from them. Of course, it might have been the blue color that struck Krillin as odd, but he still knew that there was something completely different about the way that Gohan thought. He wondered if the boy know about what Goku's secret weapon was, because he had been curious to know. Was it a new type of wave? Another transformation beyond Super Saiyan? As much as he had begged his friend over these past few days, he was always refused an answer. Whatever it was, if Goku was keeping it such a secret, it had to be good.

And now he was simply watching as his friends let the rest of the days fly by until the Cell Games. He hoped that they knew what they were doing; whereas he thought they should have been training, getting their strength up as much as possible before the big day, Goku had decided it would be a good time to simply lounge around and do nothing. They had even taken the time to celebrate Gohan's birthday just two days ago, which Krillin found remarkable. How could the two remain so calm when that monster, Cell, would be facing them in just a few days? After he sucked up the mysterious Eighteen, Krillin couldn't help but hope that his friends would give Cell the pounding he deserved. He had killed too many innocent civilians and one too many a beautiful android.

As Krillin sunk his cheek further into his palm, unable to get thoughts of Eighteen out of his head, he jumped back in shock. Goku had, quite abruptly, sat up. He was itching his nose again as he muttered, "I swear, there must be something in this air." He rolled his shoulders and yawned, turning to Krillin to ask, "How long have I been asleep?"

"About twenty minutes," he replied, now on his feet. He placed his hands on his hips and turned to the river they were in front of, asking, "Are you sure you know what you're doing, Goku?" He couldn't help but be suspicious; his friend hadn't always been the wisest man, seeing as he'd let Frieza survive and potentially destroy the Earth. If they hadn't had that young man, Trunks, show up, they would have all died. And Krillin just couldn't get over the fact that the kids was Vegeta and Bulma's! Every time he thought about it, he couldn't help but let out a snicker, even in front of the infamous Prince of Saiyans in hope that he couldn't read minds.

"Of course I know what I'm doing, Krillin," Goku said, laying back down in the soft grass, his hands behind his head. "Everything's going to work out just... fine..." And, as quickly as he woke up, he fell asleep again.

Krillin shook his head, unable to believe his friend. He sure had become confident during that day in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, so certain that everything would work out. But even Goku might not be strong enough to defeat this creature, this Cell... Just thinking of the monster gave Krillin shivers as he stared out at the river, the water slowly moving over the rocky ground. He stood on the bank of the small river, his shoeless toes hanging off the edge of it. He wiggled them, tempted to step into the shallow stream. But, just as he was about to get in, he heard a faint groan come from behind him.

He whipped around, assuming a fighting stance as he saw Goku sitting up again, his hand on his stomach. There was another rumble as Goku said, "You know, I'm starving." He looked up at the bald man who had dropped his arms back to his sides in disbelief. "I think I'm going to catch a fish for lunch. You want to come?"

"Sure, Goku," the bald man shrugged, scratching the back of his shiny head and chuckling. It was only Goku that could have his stomach growl loudly enough to scare him. He shook his head as he saw Goku stand up and bend down, peeling his socks off and throwing them back to the pile of shoes the men had created. He proceeded to take off his orange jacket and pull his white shirt off, adding those to the pile, too. He unbuttoned and unzipped his nice slacks Chi-Chi had given him years back, taking his feet out of the pant holes and standing only in his baby blue boxers.

Goku was wearing boxers. This was definitely something Krillin regarded as an odd sight, prompting the short man to ask, "Hey, when did you start wearing underwear?"

Throughout his childhood, he had never seen Goku wear underwear voluntarily, always opting for a 'freer' way to move in the water. It had only been when Roshi insisted that the boy keep himself decent that he put up with the cloth, but even then, he would sometimes abandon his uniform after dark. In fact, now that he thought about it, it had been a rare sight to see Goku in underwear at all. He had often worn his orange gi to sleep instead of stripping down like the rest of them to their undergarments, and when he did strip down, Roshi made sure that Launch or Bulma hadn't been around.

Itching his nose again, Goku looked down at himself and opened his mouth, about to ask what Krillin was talking about. As far as he could remember, he had always worn underwear. But he then remembered that the last time Krillin had really trained together by swimming, he had been a little kid. He smiled, realizing exactly what the man was getting at.

"Well, I started wearing underwear after training with Roshi," he said with a small shrug. "I realized that people gave me really weird stares when I didn't wear it, swimming past their towns during those years of training." He placed a hand to his hip and continued, "I got to an age where people didn't think it was cute seeing me running around without clothes, so I finally got used to these things, though it took me a while. There were a few times when I got fed up with them, leaving them behind, but I always ran back to get them again."

He tugged his lip in dismay as he looked down at the blue cloth again, now wishing that he didn't have to wear underwear. If he had a choice, he would simply run around without clothes on, seeing as they were such a hassle to train in. But he knew that, as a fully grown man, he needed to learn the proper etiquette of today's society, a speech that Chi-Chi was always delivering to him. And apparently, being naked wasn't one of those ways to deem himself a good man of a good family. He supposed that he was the only one to think that going around without clothing was okay, though, because when he had asked Gohan about it years ago, even his son had been slightly disgusted by the idea. His son. When he told Gohan that he used to run around without clothes all the time, Gohan wouldn't listen without revulsion in his tone as he would tell his dad that times had changed. Goku simply couldn't understand why clothing was so important.

His thoughts were interrupted by Krillin chuckling, "And here I thought that you would never wear underwear, Goku. You really have changed a lot since I last saw you. I remember when I thought you were such a wild kid, but look at you now! The untamable is tamed! I remember how hard Roshi used to have to try to force those things on you, a sheer sign of determination on his part." He sighed happily, beginning to kick off his own pants and pull off his own shirt. Those memories from long ago were some of the best ones he had...

He tossed them into the pile of clothes and socks and shoes as Goku said, "I mainly do it now for Chi-Chi. We live in the middle of nowhere, but she still insists that it's 'unseemly' for a man to go around without clothes. Then she goes on and calls me a 'barbarian'." He looked up to the sky and decided, "When I die, I'm going to burn all of my clothes and go around, not caring who sees me. I can't do it here because Chi-Chi would kill me, but up there, I'll be able to do what I want without anybody being able to do a thing to me."

Krillin raised an eyebrow, impressed by his friend's audacity. He wasn't sure whether he was kidding or not, but knowing Goku, he probably wasn't. Crossing his arms with a sly grin on his face, he said, "But then Chi-Chi will be up there soon enough to hunt you down. See, I'm never going to tie myself down to a woman. They're too much of a hassle to deal with." He said this, trying to keep images of the lovely Eighteen out of his head, but ultimately failing.

With a large breath, Goku simply said, "You know, Chi-Chi's definitely worth it. She may be hard to keep up with at times, but she's worth being here on Earth for." There was a slight pause in their conversation, both men taking the moment to think of their loved ones. Then, having thought of Chi-Chi for longer than he had anticipated, Goku clasped his hands together and said, "Let's go catch us some lunch!" And with that, Goku began charging down the bank and through the shallow waters.

"Umm... Goku?"

Goku spun his head around, seeing his friend just standing there, his mouth ajar slightly. "What is it?" But Krillin quickly clamped his jaws back together again, recovering as he hid a snicker.

"Oh, nothing." And so trusting of his friend, Goku turned back around, splashing through the water once more. Krillin shook his head, turning his eyes away from the large hole in the back of his friend's boxers and to the sky. He supposed that he could allow Goku another day of being 'free'.


End file.
